This article is the first in a series of articles about some of the most dangerous moves in professional wrestling. The Pile Driver is probably the most dangerous move, bar none.
It is performed by a wrestler sticking another wrestler’s head between his/her legs, grabbing him/her down by the midsection and lifting them upside down in the air and falling down on their butt. The wrestler is temporarily paralyzed, allowing the wrestler performing the move to get the pin fall victory.

This move is even banned in most promotions, including the WWE. In the United Kingdom, some wrestling promotions not only disqualify the offending wrestler but he is often times fined as well for using the move. In Mexico, the pile driver is called the Martinete and is banned there as well and calls for an automatic disqualification. When it is performed, the receiving wrestler “sells” the move by acting as if his neck is broken

The move is supposed to look like the head of the receiving wrestler hits the mat and compresses the head into the neck. When the move is performed correctly, the wrestler’s head barely touches the mat, if at all.

A wrestler named “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is probably the most famous victim of the move going wrong. In a match against Owen Hart, Hart delivered the pile driver to Austin but Austin’s head was about six inches lower than it was supposed to be and when Hart performed the move, Austin’s head was compressed into his spine. Austin was temporarily paralyzed, but came back to win the match. However, Austin was out of action for a few months to have some surgeries done to repair the damage to his neck.

Another wrestler named the Undertaker has made his own version of the move famous. He holds the wrestler upside down with his head between his knees and then drops to his knees. This is known as the “Tombstone Pile Driver”. From there the wrestler is on his back and the Undertaker folds the opponent’s arms across his chest and gets the pin fall victory.

This is a very dangerous move and can result in serious injury such as a broken neck and permanent paralysis. It is performed by highly trained athletes and as always should not be attempted by anyone who is not trained.